OSU High School Math Contest

High School Math Contest

Contest Description

Every fall from 1991 until 2003, OSU's Math Department sponsored a High School Math Contest bringing Oklahoma high school students to Stillwater for a day of serious mathematical problem solving. The contest was very popular with students and teachers alike, bringing over 600 students from high schools throughout the state to campus each year. For a few years we offered the contest in a second location, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in Texas.

The contest consists of 8-10 challenging problems to be completed in two and one-half hours. The exam uses high school algebra and geometry, and other subjects such as trigonometry, number theory, or combinatorics may appear. The exam is designed to teach logic and problem solving skills and to encourage creativity. It is modelled after the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America, which is offered annually to college students throughout the US and Canada. The book Algebra Through Problem Solving, by Abraham Hillman and Jerry Alexanderson, is designed to help train interested students to be better problem solvers.

2004 Contest Information

The 2004 OSU High School Math Contest has been cancelled.

For many years the OSU High School Math Contest has been sponsored and run by the OSU Math Department alone, with no support from the OSU administration. In recent years, the contest has grown beyond the Math Department's ability to easily administer it. Additionally, since its inception the Contest has been largely written and compiled by Professor Emeritus Abe Hillman of the University of New Mexico. Hillman passed away this past January at the age of 85 (click here for his obituary), and so this year seems like an ideal time to

Teachers and/or parents with an interest in the future of the contest may contact Dr. Weiping Li at hsmc at math.okstate.edu to let us know your opinions.

Contest Eligibility

The contest is open only to students currently enrolled in grade 12 or below who have not yet received a high school diploma. The exam is intended primarily for high school juniors and seniors, but well-prepared students in earlier grades who have a strong mathematics aptitude are also eligible.

Rules

Each participant works independently, with no consultations with other contestants permitted. Calculators, book, notes, or other aids are not permitted. Each high school with three or more participants may designate three contestants to serve on the school's team. Alternates may be designated to replace any of the team members who might not be able to attend. The team members and alternates, however, must be designated in advance, before the contest begins. The team members compete as individuals, and then their ranks are used to compute a team score.

Grading

Each problem is scored out of 10 points. Partial credit may be given, but usually only for substantial progress towards a solution. All work must be shown in order to obtain full credit for a solution.

The school's team score is determined by adding the ranks of the team members, not the scores, in order to reward consistency on the part of all team members.

Prizes

Certificates are awarded to contestants in three categories: Outstanding Achievement, Meritorious Achievement, and Honorable Mention. The top contestants earning Outstanding Achievement Awards receive a T-shirt. Certificates will be awarded to the winning teams.

Results will be announced by December 18, 2003 (hopefully earlier).

Scholarships

Pending availability of funds, scholarships to attend OSU in amounts from $500 to $1500 will be offered to top senior contestants who apply to attend OSU and who fill out the scholarship application form. The form must be returned in person on the day of the exam or FAXed or mailed to the Math Department's High School Contest Coordinator by two weeks after the date of the exam. (Since an original signature in ink is required, forms are not accepted by electronic mail.) Awards will be based on the contest score, on scores from other tests such as the ACT and/or SAT, and on high school grades, especially math grades. In addition, we may give preference to applicants who express an interest in majoring in math, in participating in college-level mathematics competitions such at the Putnam Exam or the Mathematical Contest in Modeling, or in minoring in math.

Past Exams

The exams for the OSU High School Math Contest were composed by Abraham Hillman with the assistance of members of the OSU Department of Mathematics and of Professor Merv Newton of Thiel College. Solutions are stored separately...but it's best to try the problems first before looking at the solutions. No peeking!

Solutions

2003 Winners

On Wednesday, October 1, 2003, 692 students from 67 schools in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas participated in the Thirteenth Annual OSU High School Math Contest. In addition, 53 high schools participated in the team competition.

The individual contest winners are

  1. Joshua Jahja Lim, The Oakridge School (Grand Prairie, TX), 11
  2. Kristopher Mark Kazlowski, The Oakridge School (Cedar Hill, TX), 11
  3. Elizabeth Christine Kao, Norman High School North, 10
  4. Eric Laurence Johnson, Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (Tulsa, OK), 12
  5. Joseph Eason Cooper III, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (Sherman, TX), 12 (tied with Peacock)
  6. James Russell Peacock IV, Cistercian Preparatory School (Dallas, TX), 12 (tied with Cooper)
  7. Arthur Yang, Cistercian Preparatory School (Carrollton, TX), 11
  8. Brett Alan Naul, Cistercian Preparatory School (Coppell, TX), 12
  9. Zac Alexander Cox, St. Mark's School of Texas (Dallas, TX), 12
  10. Alex Frank St. Claire, St. Mark's School of Texas (Dallas, TX), 12
  11. Lee Le Wang, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (Plano, TX), 12

The winning teams are

  1. Cistercian Preparatory School, Irving, TX
  2. St. Mark's School of Texas, Dallas, TX
  3. Stillwater High School, Stillwater, OK
  4. The Oakridge School, Arlington, TX
  5. Jenks High School, Jenks, OK
  6. Norman High School North, Norman, OK
  7. Texas Academy of Math and Science, Denton, TX
  8. Edmond Memorial High School, Edmond, OK
  9. Union High School, Tulsa, OK
  10. Casady School, Oklahoma City, OK
  11. Southwest Covenant School, Yukon, OK
  12. Duncan High School, Duncan, OK
Click here for a summary of all individual results. Click here for team results. Congratulations to all the winners!

Oklahoma State Math Department's Home Page

Click on the star to return to the Math Department's home page

Lisa A. Mantini (mantini at okstate.edu)